You're here because you want to wake up every morning to the perfectly brewed, silky-smooth, flavor-bursting cup of coffee. But you don't want to leave your home and drive to the coffee shop every day to get it.

You need the best super automatic espresso machine. Think of these machines as your own personal barista (without the hipster attitude). Choose the right one and you start every day on the right foot – perfect cup of coffee in hand. Choose the wrong one, and you'll end up with watery, strange-tasting brown gloop, and a feeling of immense regret as you just blew $900+.

Below you'll find a list of our picks for the best automatic espresso machines – no junk, no regrets. We also reveal a little-known secret that may help you avoid wasting hundreds, if not thousands of dollars when buying one.

TOP PICK: Jura Impressa F8 Espresso Machine

If you want an espresso machine that is easy to use and has intuitive controls, this one is a great choice.

Control everything from temperature to milk-to-coffee ratios. It has 13 ready-made programs for easy access when you need a caffeine fix fast. We love this machine for all its customizable features, and we're sure you will, too. It makes a perfect espresso, fast.

Is an Automatic Espresso Machine Right For You?

Think of them as all-in-one espresso machines. They are a lifesaver for busy people because they do all the dirty work for you. You basically just select a program and at the touch of a button you get what you want.

Not sure if a super auto espresso machine is what you need? Here’s how to decide:

How much control do you want? If you want to fine-tune every aspect, get a manual or semi-auto machine.

How much time do you have? If you enjoy taking a few minutes out of each morning to make yourself a fine cup of espresso or a latte, then buy a manual or semi-auto machine. If you’d rather just dump in high-quality coffee beans and keep your morning moving, get a fully auto machine.

Do you want a built-in grinder? Think about your coffee grounds. Many of the best coffee makers have built-in grinders, meaning you won’t have to buy a burr grinder and have it take up space on your kitchen counter. Many manual or semi-auto espresso makers don't.

Do you want to spend your time frothing milk? If you don’t have time for this or just aren’t interested (it’s about the coffee anyway, right?), then look at full automatic machines. Many of them will froth the milk for you, giving you one-button lattes or cappuccinos every day.

Want to get a better sense of what home espresso making might actually look like?Check out this great video from Intelligentsia:

How To Choose The Right Machine For Your Needs

Because these machines are so expensive, you need to read this next part carefully, or risk making the wrong choice and wasting a large sum of money.

So how do you select the best fully automatic espresso machine for you?

Here are a few things to look out for, but note, we are not talking about Nespresso machines (they are not quality machines).

Programmability - How Much Do You Need?

This dictates how much control you have over the brewing process.

Although super automatic machines do the work for you, many of them still let you choose from a range of settings or pre-programmed options. With super automatic machines, you might want to control grind size, temperature or shot strength. Some machines let you adjust almost every detail, while others are mainly meant to run on a standard program.

"They take some of the work out of your hands... Select a program and press a button. It’s much harder to mess it up, but you’re still in control." - Rafaella Rossi

If you’re the type who likes customization, go for a super automatic with a high level of programmability – so you still have a say in how your coffee is made.

Brew Group - Built-In Or Not?

The brew group is one of the most vital parts of the espresso machine, as it’s where the actual brewing happens.

The brew group is the mechanism on the front of the espresso machine that carries hot pressurized water into the filter basket. On a semi-automatic or manual espresso machine, the brew group is the piece that you lock the portafilter into.

Some super automatic machines have detachable brew groups, making them easy to clean or open up for inspection if something goes wrong. Other machines have a fixed, non-removable brew group (1). This built-in type is designed to be self-cleaning, which is handy.

If you like taking a hands-on approach to the care and maintenance of your coffee equipment, opt for one with a detachable brew group.

Have your milk steamed automatically, or do it yourself?

Many super auto espresso makers have automatic functions for steaming or frothing milk to make lattes, cappuccinos and the like (2). However, some of them don’t, requiring you to use a traditional steam wand instead. Are you looking for an automatic cappuccino machine?

If you’re short on time or just want the machine to do this part for you, go for a machine that has a built-in system for heating and frothing milk.

Capacity: Can the machine make all the espresso you need without refilling the water tank or bean hopper?

Automatic espresso makers vary in terms of their capacity; water tank size, milk carafe size, and bean hopper (that feed the whole bean coffee into the grinder). This impacts how much espresso they can churn out without needing to be refilled.

Choose based on your needs: If it's just for your own enjoyment, a smaller one will do. But if you want to brew for your family or office, choose something with enough capacity. Some super automatic machines can only handle a few shots at a time, while others will comfortably make at least a dozen shots in a row.

How is one machine different from the others?

There are a lot of things all super auto espresso makers have in common. They are automatic (duh), so they already check the ease-of-use option, with ready-made programs available at your fingertips.

But the best auto espresso machines have something special about them. It might be highly programmable, easy to maintain, or extremely well-designed. Depending on your personal style of coffee drinking, you can find an option that is best suited for you.

How To Save Lots Of Money When Shopping Around

Want to know how I saved $983 when buying an automatic coffee maker? You can easily do it too. Below you'll notice that some of the machines have an option that says "SEE REFURBISHED PRICE."

Why? Because we have found a few retailers that offer refurbished versions of these machines. Click through to see if they have any machines available, or read this guide to refurbished espresso machine marketplaces.

Refurbished machines are not brand new although they do look and feel brand new.

This is your chance to save quite a bit of money, because refurbished machines are resold at a huge discount plus they come with a warranty. This means that you save hundreds (or thousands) of dollars, and still get peace of mind knowing it’s going to work perfectly with a warranty to cover your ass.

Buying a refurbished machine is often a better decision than buying one brand new because:

They have been serviced, returned and put through tests to make sure they are performing at peak levels.

You save hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars, off the regular price.

You're probably thinking: "Sounds good. But what’s the catch?" There is only a limited quantity available. Often times you will click through and these machines will be out of stock. If this happens please don't email me and complain - I have no control over the stock.

This means that you have three options right now:

Buy a normal/regular espresso machine instead of a super automatic one. You'll have to learn the ropes of making espresso, so you'll have a learning curve to deal with each morning (for the first while, expect to spend 10-30 minutes each morning learning the skill + drinking poorly brewed coffee).

Buy a super automatic machine, brand new (be warned; they are expensive).

Save some serious cash right now by buying a refurbished machine. Some of the companies below offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, meaning you can try a machine and if it’s not for you, return it within 30 days for a refund.

The 9 Best Automatic Espresso Machines of 2019

To help you find the espresso machine that can change your life (or at least vastly improve your mornings – saving time and money), we’ve compiled a list of super automatic espresso machine reviews.

The Ena Micro 1 is a stylish and streamlined espresso machine, and nothing more (I mean that in a good way).

What We Like:The built-in grinder is convenient and the auto descaling and cleaning programs make the Ena Micro 1 easy to maintain. You also have the option to select from 2 different espresso strength levels and 3 shot sizes.

What We Don’t Like: It's streamlined and stripped down, so some users may feel it’s missing some features. E.g. there’s no milk frothing system, but if you don’t need lattes, it’s not a deal-breaker.

Specifications:

Drinks: It makes just three drinks: espresso, Ristretto, and Americano.

What We Like: This is a compact yet high-end machine that boasts a built-in milk frother and takes only 30 seconds to heat up. It’s customizable, letting you choose the amount of both milk and coffee you want. The spout is also adjustable, allowing you to fit your favorite mug.

What We Don't Like: Though the spout is adjustable, it may be too short to fit many travel mugs.

The Giga W3 Professional Espresso Machine has the capacity and flexibility to make a large variety of speciality coffee drinks for a crowd – it’s a great design for an office or a restaurant.

What We Like: This machine is not only big enough to serve the office (it can prepare two drinks at once) but it’s also fully customizable to meet everyone’s needs. Pick the strength of your espresso, your water and milk ratios, temperature of the milk and amount of ground coffee per brewing. Also, the container for spent grounds holds used coffee from up to 40 drinks – so there’s no need to be pitching grounds all the time or frequent arguing about who has to clean it out.

What We Don’t Like: It’s too large and expensive for most users to have at home.

Specifications:

Drinks: Pretty much everything hot.

Capacity: 5-liter water reservoir, and the grinder’s hopper holds 35 oz of beans (almost a kilogram)

Brew group: Fixed, has an auto-clean program

Size: 21.7 inches tall, 14.6 inches wide and 19.6 inches deep

Grinder: Ceramic burr grinder - grind between 5 and 16 grams of beans for each brewing

The Impressa F8 is all about programmability and getting the perfect espresso drink that you want. In the “Expert Mode,” you can control everything from shot temperature to amount of milk used. If you’d rather keep things simple, the Impressa F8 also has 13 ready-made programs for various coffee drinks.

What We Like: It's customizable; it lets you be an espresso “expert” without the learning curve. It’s also super programmable, letting you dial in the settings you like via the simple-to-use control panel. The grinder is high-quality and quiet as well, helping you get the best ground coffee for your brew. While the grinder works, the machine’s Thermoblock system makes quick hot water.

What We Don’t Like: Its milk carafe and frothing system leaves something to be desired.

Specifications:

Drinks: 13 different black and milk-based drinks

Capacity: 2-liter water reservoir, 11 oz. bean hopper

Brew group: Fixed, has an auto-clean program

Size: 14 inches tall, 11.25 inches wide, 17.5 inches deep

Grinder: Fine-toothed burr grinder designed to grind faster with less noise

The Impressa C60 is the sleek, simple option. It’s a compact fully automatic espresso machine for those who want to enjoy espresso shots with minimal fuss.

What We Like:The Impressa C60 scores great on customization. It lets you choose shot strength, grind size and temperature using a simple rotary dial. The Thermoblock system and powerful 15-bar pump make excellent espresso that really does resemble your local barista’s handiwork. A built-in milk foaming system lets you make milk-based espresso drinks as well – simply hook up a milk carton to your machine, or their specially designed milk container.

What We Don’t Like:The drip tray is a bit small. It makes it difficult to use a large mug or two mugs (spout height is still adjustable).

For those who like the convenience and quality of an automatic bean-to-cup machine but still want to retain a lot of control, the DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica offers a good balance of both worlds. When it comes to care and maintenance, the Magnifica is among the less automatic super autos.

What We Like: It really makes excellent espresso – customize it to the strength (5 settings) and the volume (4 settings) you want. It’s an impressively compact machine, given the large capacity and the fact that it has two boilers to keep your milk hot and hot water ready to brew.

"Double boilers solve the problem of having differing temperature needs. Water for brewing should be at 93℃ (200℉) and it needs to hit 100℃ (212℉) for steam." - Mitch Prinsloo

What We Don’t Like: It does have a rinsing and decalcification program, but the removable parts need to be detached and cleaned by hand every few days.

The Gaggia Brera is another relatively affordable and compact model. It’s best suited for making Americanos or milk coffees rather than making pure espresso. Gaggia also offers a premium machine (the Gaggia Anima) but I don't believe its a worthy option for this list.

What We Like: It's great for making milk-based drinks and it scores some points for its stylish design. The stainless steel Italian Panarello steam wand produces excellent steamed milk for cappuccinos, lattes or even hot chocolate. The removable brew group is easy to clean under the tap, the adjustable spout is a nice touch, and it’s affordable compared to similar machines.

The Breville Oracle Touch comes with five pre-programmed cafe drinks you can choose from a touch screen. Want more of this, less of that? Adjust the coffee strength, milk texture, and temperature, then save up to eight custom drinks. Simplicity is rarely so delicious. Read our full review of the Oracle h​ere.

What We Like: Lock the portafilter into the integrated conical burr grinder, and the Oracle Touch not only fills it (up to a 22g dose for more intense coffee flavor), it tamps it properly. PID temperature control ensures the water will be at the precise temperature for best extraction - of course there's low-pressure pre-infusion. The steam wand automatically prepares milk to the programmed temperature and texture.

What We Don’t Like: If you're addicted to Americanos, the portafilter is a tight fit for taller glasses and mugs.

Does this sound familiar? You're entertaining friends who all want a different drink - cappuccino, double espresso, flat white, baby cappuccino (is that even a thing?) - and they all want them right now. The Saeco PicoBaristo has you covered.

Not only can you choose from 11 different café drinks, but their quick-heat boiler technology lets you brew one after another without waiting for the machine to heat up.

What We Like: Being able to choose from 11 different cafe drinks from a one-touch menu, quite simply, rocks. The rapid boiler system allows for brewing multiple drinks one after another. You can customize your drinks with five different settings, choosing the brew length and temperature, and then save your settings with the Memo function.

Their AquaClean filter lets you brew 5000 cups of espresso before you have to descale. If you hate cleaning, the PicoBaristo will make you smile. And the milk frothing system is dishwasher-safe.

What We Don’t Like: The water pump is louder than the grinder. It's small, too, meaning you have to fill the water, the bean hopper, and the milk carafe fairly frequently.

THE VERDICT: What's The Best Super Automatic Espresso Machine?

While every one of the machines on this list put up a strong fight for the contender of best automatic coffee machine, there is one that shines above the others: the Jura Impressa F8.

Check to see if there is a refurbished model available. I did, and I saved $983.

FAQs

What kind of coffee do you put in an espresso machine?

You can put any kind of coffee (that you like) in an espresso machine. However a medium or dark roasted bean will taste better when brewed using espresso. In terms of taste and strength, using an Italian or Espresso roast is considered best. Do NOT put oily beans in an automatic machine; it will cause clogs and problems.

How many bars of pressure is good for espresso?

Typically 9 BARs (equal to 9 times the amount of natural pressure at sea level) is a good amount of pressure for espresso (3). But, some espresso machines today have built-in pressure pumps operating at levels as high as 15 or 17 BARs.

How do you maintain an espresso machine?

You maintain an espresso machine with regular cleaning and descaling. If you’re using your machine on a daily basis, you should aim to clean it once a week. The weekly clean doesn’t need to be a high maintenance regime, a simple backflush with water will do the job. But, every 200 shots or so a more thorough backflush is necessary to keep your machine running smooth. That's the time you should use the proper cleaning tablets or powder.

How often should you descale an espresso machine?

You should descale your espresso machine as often as recommended by the manufacturer. A lot of newer models come with an indicator that will let you know when it’s time to descale your espresso machine. Here are some more tips on descaling.

References:

Rossi, R. (2018, October 20). What You Need to Know Before Buying an Espresso Machine. Retrieved from https://www.perfectdailygrind.com/2018/10/what-you-need-to-know-before-buying-an-espresso-machine/

Prinsloo, M. (2018, November 17). How Do Espresso Machines Work? Retrieved from https://www.perfectdailygrind.com/2018/11/how-do-espresso-machines-work/

Alex

Alex is the Founder and Editor of Homegrounds.co. He is passionate about brewing amazing coffee at home, and teaching others to do the same.

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